Today's games

March 31, 2001|By Bill Free

No. 1 Maryland (7-0) at No. 7 Virginia (3-3)

Site: Klockner Stadium

Time: 2 p.m.

Outlook: Maryland will attempt to back up its new No. 1 ranking with a win over Virginia, which shares seventh place in this week's United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association/coaches poll with Notre Dame. The Terps have the nation's leading scorer in Buggs Combs and the country's top defense. Combs has registered a hat trick in all seven games and has 30 goals. The stingy Terps defense has allowed 5.28 goals a game to lead all teams. Virginia is coming off last Saturday night's 9-8 victory over Johns Hopkins in four overtimes. The Cavaliers won on Conor Gill's wraparound goal 1:15 into the fourth sudden-death overtime.

No. 18 Towson (4-2) at No. 9 Loyola (4-1)

Site: Curley Field

Time: 1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WNST (1570 AM) and WTMD (89.7 FM)

Outlook: A lot is on the line for Towson today, as the Tigers try to beat a Top 10 team for the first time since 1996. The Tigers have lost four straight and 11 of their past 14 to Loyola. Towson is led by goalkeeper John Horrigan, who has 43 saves in three games against Loyola. The Greyhounds are led by senior attackman Gavin Prout, who is fourth in the nation in points per game (4.8) on the strength of 15 goals and nine assists.

No. 5 Johns Hopkins (2-2) at No. 14 North Carolina (4-3)

Site: Fetzer Field

Time: 1 p.m.

Radio: WJFK (1300 AM)

Outlook: The Blue Jays will find out today if they can put the devastating four-overtime loss to Virginia behind them. That will be no easy task, and beating North Carolina in Chapel Hill is never a given. But Hopkins is easily the best 2-2 team in the country. The Blue Jays have been led by senior faceoff specialist Eric Wedin, hotshot freshman Joe McDermott and Adam Doneger. North Carolina is paced by Jeff Sonke's 16 goals and 10 assists.

No. 10 UMBC (4-1) at Rutgers (2-3)

Site: Yurcak Field

Time: 3 p.m.

Outlook: The Retrievers are a defensive-minded team behind the exceptional goaltending of senior Steve Cusa, who is sixth in the nation in goals per game with a 7.05 average. Senior midfielder Charlie Gibson is coming off a three-goal, one-assist effort in last week's victory over Penn State. Rutgers was trounced by fourth-ranked Princeton, 14-5, Tuesday night. Senior attackman Keith Cromwell leads the Scarlet Knights this season with 14 goals and nine assists.

Quinnipiac (6-0) at Mount St. Mary's (3-3)

Site: Mount St. Mary's athletics field

Time: 1 p.m.

Outlook: The Mountaineers will be out to knock Quinnipiac from the unbeaten ranks behind the scoring of Nick DeFelice (13 goals, seven assists) and Josh Warfield (15 goals, three assists). The visiting Braves are coming off a 24-10 romp over Boston College, in which Alan LoGuidrich scored five goals for the Braves to become the school's all-time leader in goals scored (90).